Indiana Pit Bull Kills Owner in His Home on Christmas Day

A pit bull killed his 40-year-old owner in his Indiana home on Christmas Day, leaving the man's body covered in bites to be discovered by his girlfriend. One of two pit bulls in the house had blood on its mouth.

According to WGN-TV in Chicago, Blanca Rodriguez, of Portage, said she didn't know what could have led to the dog mauling Eddie Cahill, but told the television station she believed the attack was a "freak accident."

"They were playful dogs," Rodriguez told WGN-TV. "One slept with the girls and the other slept with me and (Cahill). I don't want people to think bad of pit bulls. It was a freak accident. He loved those dogs."

Authorities said Rodriguez had returned from a family outing Christmas evening when she found Cahill dead in the home and one of the 8-year-old dogs with blood on his mouth. Animal control officers told the TV station they needed to use a Taser to get the animal under control.

The Times of Northwest Indiana reported police reports as saying when an animal control officer attempted to remove the dog from the home with a pole, the dog was "continuously barking, growling, standing in an aggressive stance and lunging toward officers."

Blood was found on the walls, furniture and carpet, authorities reported. The dog was euthanized Friday, Portage police told The Times.

"It was the only dog that was able to get to the individual," said Porter County Coroner Chuck Harris, noting that the second pit bull was closed off in another room. "It was very obvious."

Despite Rodriguez's claims of a freak accident, Portage police told The Times that she told them that she had repeatedly warned Cahill to euthanize the suspected dog because he was "extremely aggressive and unpredictable" in the past.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, authorities reported that the same dog had bitten Cahill and Rodriguez's son in the past. The couple has owned the dog since it was a puppy, police said.

"This is a very tragic incident," said Portage Police Chief Troy Williams. "It's not something we see too often."

A pit bull killed his 40-year-old owner in his Indiana home on Christmas Day, leaving the man's body covered in bites to be discovered by his girlfriend. One of two pit bulls in the house had blood on its mouth.